Copyright © 2016 by Datamatic, S.C.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoeverwithout the express written permission of the publisherexcept for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

First Edition, October 2016

Datamatic, S.C.

www.bioexpedition.com

Text: Berenice Lorenzo.

Design: Sergio Góngora.

Editorial: Datamatic, S.C.

Images: Courtesy of Pixabay and their respective authors.

All rights of the photographs belong to their respective authors.

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Animal Kingdom

Do you have any idea of the number of living organisms that exist on this planet? Given its many differences in the eighteenth century the naturalist, Carl Linnaeus established an organization system where all living beings were classified according to their morphological features, whose hierarchy extends from the kingdom down to the individual species.

This system which is still operational recognizes five kingdoms: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.

The kingdom Animalia includes all the organisms called animals or metazoa.

There are more than 10 million animal species, and scientists estimate that 97.4 percent are invertebrates and just 2.6 percent are vertebrates. The latter split into five groups: birds, fish, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

Among the invertebrates are insects, mollusks, crustaceans, corals, arachnids and many others.

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BIOMES2

The ocean biome is one of the most affected by human activities.

All animals adapt to one or more regions of the world that have specific weather conditions, flora, and fauna; this is a biome.

The climate and rainfall are the main factors that define the classification of a biome, and the living beings that live there, from microscopic organisms to large predators all are closely related to each other and their environment.

The classification may vary among some authors, but the best-known and studied biomes are polar deserts, tundra, taiga, forest, rainforest, steppe, savanna, desert and Mediterranean, although each has further sub-classifications. Evidently, we cannot forget the vast and amazing ocean biome, the largest on the planet.

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ANIMALS3

Giant panda

It is an animal very easy to identify because of its black and white color and its appetite for eating bamboo.

Also called Panda bears; it is an omnivorous mammal that lives in the remote mountainous regions of central China and Tibet at altitudes between 1,200 to 4,100 meters above the sea level.

It's not as big or aggressive as other types of bears and reaches up to 1.9 meters high and up to 115 kilos, and its behavior is solitary and Pacific, and it tries to avoid confrontations.

99 percent of its diet is bamboo, and it can spend 10 to 12 hours daily enjoying it.

This species was close to extinction, but successful preservation improved their conservation status, which raised in September 2016.

That's good news!

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Polar Bears - Their strong legs are developed to withstand long walks and swim far distances.

Polar Bear

It is the largest land predator; and by that, we mean that some males weigh up to 700 kilos and reach approximately three meters long. They live exclusively in the northern hemisphere, specifically around the arctic and subarctic zones, covering Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, and Russia. These are regions with an abundance of seals, their primary food, as they provide them the fat and energy they need to survive the harsh conditions of their habitat, with temperatures ranging between 10 Celsius degrees to -45 Celsius degrees during winter.

Polar bears face the ravages of global warming which is speeding melting, as well as the pollution and the disturbance caused by oil exploration in the Arctic. In 2008, the excessive hunting brought them close to extinction.

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Human and giraffes have the same number of vertebrae in the neck, seven. However, a giraffe vertebra measures up to 28 cm.

Giraffe

Giraffes are the tallest animals in the world, and there are nine subspecies, which inhabit the grasslands and savannas of Africa, being the Masai giraffe the largest, reaching up to six meters tall, while other species range between 4.5 and 5.5 meters. Despite their massive size, these mammals can run at 60 km/h.

Each giraffe has a unique spot pattern that slightly varies its color according to his or her health status. Their neck

measures up to 2 meters long, and his tongue is about 50 cm long, and thanks to its thick, protective saliva, can ingest the thorns of the bushes they consume. An adult requires between 34 and 75 kg of vegetation per day.

They seem helpless creatures, but a giraffe can kill his opponent with a lightning kick. Among its main enemies are lions, leopards, and crocodiles.

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Tiger

It is the world's largest cat. It has six subspecies distributed along Asia, and the Siberian tiger is the largest of all. The Siberian or Amur tiger has a length of nearly three meters, including the tail, and a weight of approximately 320 kg. In contrast, the Sumatran tiger, which is only 2.30 meters, long and weighs 140 kg. Is considered the smallest subspecies; however, all have enough strength and ability to deal with any threat.

Tigers can reach a speed up to 90 km/h during sprints, which give them a significant advantage when chasing prey. They are highly territorial and efficient hunters. They eat fish, birds, deer, wild boars, tapirs, and even some species of bear.

Unfortunately, all subspecies are threatened as the result of uncontrolled hunting and poaching.

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Their more than 200 bones form a strong and agile structure that supports the movement of their more than 600 muscles.

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Lion

The "King of the Jungle" actually lives in savannas and grasslands of Africa and parts of Asia. It belongs to the group of big cats.

There are two subspecies: the African Lion and the Asian Lion. Lions are the second largest members of the Felidae family weighing between 190 and 250 kg and measuring up to 2.50 meters long, being the African subspecies the one with the highest dimensions. They are the only cats that show sexual dimorphism in adulthood, as male lions have and abundant mane that females do not grow.

They can capture animals as big as giraffes and Cape buffaloes; and smaller prey like impalas, gazelles, wildebeests and zebras, and even small rodents and amphibians. A healthy adult requires 5 to 7 kg of meat every day.

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Bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatus

Dolphin

Dolphins are scientifically considered one of the most intelligent animals on Earth, they perform complex communication, and they are capable of executing different behaviors according to the situation. They use echolocation for detection and orientation, which help them to find prey and avoid predators. Small fish and squid are the main food of dolphins.

There are more than 40 species, and they are closely related to whales. Most species live in

the oceans, but few successfully inhabit freshwater bodies such as the Gangetic dolphin or the Amazon pink dolphin.

There are several species severely threatened and the Baiji dolphin is already extinct in the wild, while another ten are seriously threatened by human activities such as fishing and pollution.

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Wolf.

Wolves are known to be powerful predators with an incredible ability to hunt as and organized group hardly seen in other animals.

There are three species of wolves with several subspecies of gray wolf. They live in diverse parts of the world with adaptations to the different types of climates they inhabit which range from hot and arid landscapes to the cold taiga and tundra biomes. Their distribution includes Asia, America, Europe and Africa.

Wolves are highly territorial, and their way to communicate and enforce their dominion is by howling, which can be heard as far as 130 km. They organize into social hierarchies, where an alpha male and female are at the highest position of the community. Both have more freedom and total control over the resources, being responsible for resolving potential conflicts and holding together the pack, besides breeding most of the offspring.

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Raccoon.

This mammal has three species that can be easily distinguished by the dark "mask" over his eyes. Weighing between 2 and 14 kilos, the raccoon is native to the American continent, ranging from the forested areas of southern Canada to the northern prairies of South America, although, it has been introduced in some European and Asian countries.

Raccoons are solitary and discrete creatures that hunt at night and have an omnivorous diet which 33% of it are plants, and the rest is vertebrates and invertebrates such as worms, amphibians, and eggs. However, it is usual to see them snooping around trash cans in urban areas where they "steal" food from homes or businesses.

It is not a dangerous animal to humans unless they feel threatened. But something important to remember is that raccoons are not domesticated like dogs or cats and can carry rabies.

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Cougar - This animal cannot roar like the big cats, but it can emit a wide variety of vocalizations.

Cougar.

Also known as the mountain lion or puma, it lives in areas with dense vegetation and large rocks that it uses as shelter.

It is the second largest feline in the continent after the jaguar and the fourth largest in the world. Its distribution range is bigger than any other mammal in the Western Hemisphere, covering from Canada to the Andes mountain range.

It is not a small cat; adult males reach a length up to 2.75 meters and a weight of over 100 kg. Besides, it is not a friendly

cat. Its territorial behavior, its robust and agile body, its powerful fangs, and claws make it easy to acknowledge why it is considered a dangerous predator.

Cougars reach speeds of 55 km/h and are experts climbing rocks and even swimming if needed to reach their prey, which usually are raccoons, coyotes, beavers, bobcats and several types of deer.

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Some whale species may have a gestation period longer than one year.

Whale.

Whales inhabit all the world's oceans. There are two whale suborders, toothed whales and baleen whales.

The largest species, the blue whale, is the largest animal that has ever lived on the Earth as it reaches a length up to 30 m and a weight of 170 tons. Under their skin, they have a thick layer of fat that stores energy and regulates

their temperature, as many of them delve into cold circumpolar waters.

Baleen whales communicate with each other through melodic sounds, which are popularly known as "whale singing." Their socialization skills allow them to teach, learn, collaborate and show stages of grief. While some tend to be loners, others can form groups of up to 25 members.

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Despite their large size, whales feed on small crustaceans, fish, shrimp, krill and microscopic organisms that provide them the nutrients essential for their survival..

So far, there are 15 species of baleen whales.

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Leopard.

Leopards belong to the Felidae family and the genus Panthera. They live in eastern and southern Asian and African continents, with the largest concentrations in sub-Saharan Africa.

It is the smallest of the "big cats" with a length up to 1.65 m and weight up to 91 kg. Leopards are often confused with cheetahs or jaguars, but their main difference is their coat pattern.

Leopards are expert climbing trees to stalk their prey, as their sight and hear senses, are their best tools for hunting. Their strength allows them to take down other animals heavier than them like antelopes, gazelles, and impalas, although rodents, Martens, and foxes can also be part of their diet when available. They are so powerful that they can readily take up the trees the bodies of their prey!

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Research show that the leopard is the cat with greater adaptability, it can live in various habitat types and at different temperatures.

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Sea Lion.

Sea lions are part of the Otariidae family and Otariinae subfamily. Their distribution extends around the world covering coasts of Mexico, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and the United States.

Their length ranges from 1.8 m to 3.0 m and their weight from 100 kg to 1,000 kg. The largest species is the Steller sea lion, one of the most aggressive and territorial species.

Their diet includes a wide variety of prey like squid, fish, and even baby seals or birds when there are not many options available. As prey, they are hunt by orcas and large sharks like the great white shark, which they try to avoid with skills and intelligence.

Scientists think that sea lions will be 100% aquatic in the future because their anatomy is increasingly adapting to this habitat.

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